Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2021 August 10
       [2]The picture shows a glowing soot in a spherical flame in the
     microgravity of space. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                                Fire in Space
                            Image Credit: [3]NASA

   Explanation: What does fire look like in space? In the [4]gravity on
   Earth, heated air rises and expands, causing flames to be [5]teardrop
   shaped. In the [6]microgravity of the [7]air-filled International Space
   Station ([8]ISS), however, [9]flames are spheres. Fire is the rapid
   acquisition of oxygen, and [10]space flames meet new [11]oxygen
   molecules when they float by randomly from all directions -- creating
   the enveloping sphere. In the [12]featured image taken in the [13]ISS's
   Combustion Integration Rack, a [14]spherical flame envelopes clusters
   of hot glowing [15]soot. Without oxygen, say in the [16]vacuum of empty
   space, a [17]fire would go out immediately. The many chemical reactions
   involved with [18]fire are complex, and [19]testing them in
   microgravity is [20]helping humanity not only to better understand fire
   -- but how to put out [21]fire, too.

                    Tomorrow's picture: bubble cloud row
     __________________________________________________________________

      [22]< | [23]Archive | [24]Submissions | [25]Index | [26]Search |
   [27]Calendar | [28]RSS | [29]Education | [30]About APOD | [31]Discuss |
                                    [32]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [37]Specific rights apply.
              [38]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC
                           & [42]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2108/SpaceFlame_nasa_1100.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030723.html
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/science-pink/s3fs-public/styles/large/public/mnt/medialibrary/2013/06/18/splash2.jpg
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-microgravity-58.html
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasas-spacecraft-atmosphere-monitor-goes-to-work-aboard-the-international-space-station
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap161105.html
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/18jun_strangeflames
  10. https://youtu.be/BxxqCLxxY3M
  11. https://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
  12. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/combustion-research-microgravity-clean-burning-fuel-space-station
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/content/space-stations-combustion-integrated-rack/
  14. https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/space/iss-research/iss-fcf/cir/acme/experiments/flame-design/
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soot
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum
  17. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/in-space-flames-behave-in-ways-nobody-thought-possible-132637810/
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180826.html
  19. https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/18jun_strangeflames
  20. https://images-prod.healthline.com/hlcmsresource/images/dog-health-benefits/642x361-excercise.jpg
  21. https://firms2.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210809.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=210810
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210811.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. http://www.mtu.edu/